LaGuardia Award Dinner

Hey guys some important people with environmental practices were at this new school benefit:http://www.newschool.edu/majorevents/laguardia/jltishman.aspx?s=2:1

The Durst Organization, Co-Chair

Founded by Joseph Durst nearly a century ago, The Durst Organization is one of the most respected names in New York real estate. The Dursts are among those credited with conceptualizing the modern office building. Their insight and foresight have helped transform New York City's midtown into a center for the world's most notable corporations. Their environmental innovation and trail-blazing commitment to environmental responsibility has made them leaders in the field.

In 1915, Joseph Durst began investing in and managing office buildings along 34th Street in Manhattan. After the Second World War--as existing office space in the Grand Central area was approaching full occupancy--the Dursts concluded that nearby Third Avenue was the logical choice for new business expansion. Anticipating this shift in demand, Joseph Durst's three sons, Seymour, Roy, and David, initiated an astute assemblage strategy along Third Avenue.

By the mid-1960s, the Dursts directed their attention to the prime midtown area west of Grand Central, acquiring additional sites west of Fifth Avenue. By the end of the decade, they had erected their first office tower on Avenue of the Americas and established a leadership role in transforming this avenue into the corporate center it is today.

The 1970s and 1980s marked the arrival of a third generation of Dursts to the organization--Douglas, Jonathan, and Kristoffer--as well as the construction of 1155 Sixth Avenue and 114 West 47th Street. Together, the grandsons of Joseph Durst continue the tradition of creating new opportunities for the city's improvement and development.

The last decade has seen unprecedented growth in The Durst Organization. Along with the arrival of Joseph Durst's great-grandchildren--Helena and Alexander Durst--to the family business, the Dursts built Four Times Square, which catalyzed the redevelopment of Times Square and broke new barriers in "green building" construction and design.

The Durst Organization's portfolio today includes nine office towers in midtown Manhattan along Third Avenue, Avenue of the Americas, and Times Square; two rental residential towers on Manhattan's West Side; and the 2.1-million-square-foot Bank of America Tower at One Bryant Park under construction. When the BofA tower is complete it will be New York's premier business address and the most environmentally advanced office tower in the world.


John L. Tishman, Honoree

There are few people who make an indelible mark on this world to the extent that John L. Tishman has. And continues to do so. While the names of an elite contingent are recognized on plaques or carved in stone on facades as testaments to their influence, only a select group can claim that they have shaped cities--both physically and socially. As chairman of Tishman Realty & Construction Co., Inc., for the last 30 years, Mr. Tishman has done just that, leading the company that his grandfather, Julius, founded in 1898 through one monumental building achievement after the next, all the while staying true to the causes of education, the environment, and cultural richness that form the cornerstones of our society.

Since joining the firm in 1948, Mr. Tishman has been a prolific figure, expanding and diversifying his firm--from its owner/builder heritage in high-rise residential properties into all types of construction and hotel and entertainment venue ownership. He has been the prime motivating force behind the company's commitment to, and commanding role in, the advancement and utilization of modern technology and building techniques, as well as a leader into the Internet era.

While inspiring an entrepreneurial spirit throughout the industry, Mr. Tishman has led building efforts on signature projects including the original World Trade Center towers and complex, the John Hancock Building in Chicago, Century City in Los Angeles, Walt Disney's EPCOT Center, the Walt Disney World Swan & Dolphin Hotels in Florida, and restorations of the historic New Amsterdam Theatre in New York City and Carnegie Hall, where he served on the board of trustees for many years.

Mr. Tishman graduated from the University of Michigan in 1946 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering and later served as an officer in the U.S. Navy. His lifelong passion for education prompted him to become a teacher of mathematics and physics at the Walden School in New York before beginning his career with the Tishman organization.

In recognition of his professional and philanthropic achievements to benefit education and society as a whole, Mr. Tishman has received honorary doctorates from The New School and the University of Michigan. Additional awards and accolades include being named a "Living Landmark" by the New York Landmarks Conservancy, celebrated as one of four people on Buildings magazine's "100 Influences that Have Shaped the Buildings Industry" list, and receiving the Skyscraper Museum's Making New York History Award and the New York Historic Business Achievement Award from the Museum of the City of New York.

Mr. Tishman's active involvement in educational and humanitarian endeavors is long-standing. Currently, he serves on the board of directors of the Museum for African Art, the Skyscraper Museum, and The New School, where he is vice chairman and was chairman of the Board of Trustees for seven years. He has played an instrumental role in founding the new Tishman Environment and Design Center, which supports design-led research alongside historical and social inquiry and places an emphasis on innovation within the context of cultural, economic, and ecological factors.

For his monumental achievements, compassion, courage, and determination to forward the causes in which he believes, The New School is proud to honor John L. Tishman with its Fiorello H. LaGuardia Award.

Daniel R. Tishman, Co-Chair

Daniel R. Tishman is a fourth-generation owner and president of Tishman Realty & Construction Co., Inc., and chairman and CEO of Tishman Construction Corporation. Mr. Tishman is responsible for the companies' overall activities and operations for a diverse roster of projects across the nation, as well as continuing to build upon a legacy of innovation and philanthropy established by his father, John.

As construction manager in recent years, Dan Tishman was personally responsible for building such noteworthy projects as 7 World Trade Center--the first building to rise at Ground Zero--the Conde Nast Headquarters, the Reuters/Instinet Headquarters, the Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy Tower, Alvin Ailey American Dance Center, and the Skyscraper Museum--all in New York.

Mr. Tishman also oversaw building of the architecturally groundbreaking Westin New York at Times Square for his company's own portfolio. He is currently in charge of construction of the new 1776-foot Freedom Tower at the World Trade Center, the Bank of America New York headquarters, and a roster of other projects for such prestigious clients as Verizon, Merrill Lynch, Bank of New York, and Albert Einstein College of Medicine.

He combines broad experience in real estate development, planning, design, and construction with a strong dedication to community building, environmental sustainability, and energy conservation. This commitment is reinforced by his lifelong concern for, and interest in, the environment. His formal education includes a Master of Science in Environmental Studies from Lesley College Graduate School and a Bachelor of Science in Ecology and Planning from Evergreen State College.

Mr. Tishman's support of organizations and causes important to our society and our planet is diverse and steadfast.